Broadcast seeding-machine.



vNo. 7I3,300. Patented Nov. Il, |902.

C. N. E. GRAY. BROADCAST SEEDING MACHINE.

W. fulmnnm N0. 7I3,300. Patented Nov. Il, |902.

C. N. E. GRAY'. BROADCAST SEEDING MACHINE.

' (Appumion med Apr. 4, 19oo.\

.3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

f .am

No. 713,300. Patented Nov. Il, |902.

' C. N. E. l GRAY. BIAIJGAST SEEDING MACHINE.

A (Application filed Apr. 4, 1900.)

' 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(lin lil-odell.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN N. E. GRAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN P. MULVANEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BROADCAST SEEDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,300, dated November 11, 1902.

Application filed April 4, 1900. Serial No. 11,47 9. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN N. E. GRAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Broadcast Seeding-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, form- Io ing a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan view, partly in section, of a device embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view in detail of the force feeding mechanism. Fig. 3 is a detail View showing a modification of the force feeding mechanism. Fig. 4 is a view showing said modified device in a different position. Fig. 5 is a side' View of rmy improved seeding device viewed from the direczo tion as indicated by the arrow shown in Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View thereof, taken upon the line 6 6, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a sectional view in detail of the main drivingshaft, taken upon the line 77, Fig. 6, viewed in the direction of the arrow there shown. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the bottom of the hopper, the walls thereof being shown in section and the force feed mechanism removed. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the lower portion of 3o the device, the bottom of the hopper being removed to show the regulating-shutters or cutoffs. Fig. l0 is a plan view in detail of the distributing-fan; and Fig. ll is a sectional view in detail of one Yof the wings of the fan, the same being taken upon the line ll 11,

Fig. l0.

Corresponding letters of reference in the diiere'nt gures of the drawings indicate like parts.

4o The objects of my invention are to providev an improved broadcast seeding machine which shall be practically noiseless in its operation, to provide more efficient driving means for operating the distributing-fan, to provide a distributing-fan of improved construction, and to provide improved feed mechanism for supplying seed to the distributing-fan. I accomplish these objects as hereinafter described. What I regard as new 5o is set forth in the claims.

, Referring to the drawings, a, Fig. l, represents the box of an ordinary farm-wagon7 to the end-board b of which are attached brackets c c, Figs.5 and 6, upon which is mounted the supporting base-plate d of my improved machine. Above said supporting base-plate and mounted upon suitable bosses or other supports (not shown) is a plate e, Figs. 1, 6, andv 8, which forms the bottom plate of the grainreceiver, which is provided with an annular 6o flange f, within which is inserted, as shown, the lower portion of a hopper g. The bottom plate e is provided with openings h h, which are located above an enlarged opening i, Figs.

6 and 9, from which latter depends a tlange 65 or spout (Shown in Figs. 5 and 6.) Located between the base-plate b and the bottom plate e and loosely adjusted therein is a shutter-plate lc, which is pivoted at Z, Figs.

1, 6, and 8, and has an arm m extending out- 7o side of the casing, the outer end of which arm is connected with a rod n, Figs. l and 8, which is extended forward to the drivers seat, by whom it may be operated directly or in conjunction with a suitable lever. (Not shown.) The plate k is provided with openings It lc therein, which areA adapted to register with the openings h h in the bottom plate e when the plate 7c is in its normal position-that is, when the machine is in opera- 8o tion. When the arm is drawn forward, however, by the rod n, the feed-openings II h may be entirely closed by the intervention of the plate 7a. A set-screw o, Figs. l, 6, and 8, engaging with a laterally-extended plate o', hav- 85 ing a curved slot therein, as shown, enables the arm m to be locked in any desired position. This feature is especially desirable when the hopper is filled with grain and the machine is being moved but is not in Operation. 9o Between the base-plate d and the plate la I place regulating-shutters pp, (shown in Figs.

6 and 9 and indicated in dotted lines in Fig.

8,) which shutters are pivoted at pp, Fig. 9. Suitable arms are extended rearwardly therefrom, in which are secured bolts arranged to pass upwardly through curved slots d' d in the plate d, to which they may be secured in any desired position by means of thumbnuts p p". Suitable indicators upon the loo arms and figures upon the plate, as shown, enable the shutters p j) to be adjusted to the corresponding relative positions.

Extending diametrically through the circular flangef and journaled in suitable bearings formed thereon, as shown in Figs. l, 5, 6, and 8, is a horizontal shaft q, upon the left-hand end of which is mounted a sprocketwheel q, connected, by means of a sprocketchain q", to a sprocket-wheel q", Figs. l and 6, upon a driving-shaft r, hereinafter referred to.Y Mounted upon the shaft q over the feed-openings 7L is a feeding device consisting of a sleeve upon which are formed vanes qm', Figs. l, 2, and 6. Said sleeve is secured rigidly to the shaft by means of a set-screw or otherwise, and the rotation of the vanes as the shaft is revolved serves to force the grain in the hopper through the feed-openings h. In the views referred to I have shown the vanes to be in the plane of the axis of the Shaft; butin Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a modified construction, in which vanes q" are formed upon sleeves qH, which vanes are arranged obliquely to the axis of the shaft. The shaft r is the main driving-shaft and is supported in bearings upon brackets Ir and r", which extend rearwardly from and are rigidly attached tothe end-board b, as shown in Figs. l, 5, and 6. A small sprocket-wheel 71"', Fig. 1, upon the end of the shaft ris connected with a large sprocket-wheel frm', attached rigidly to the rear wagon-wheel rm by means of a sprocket-chain r", thereby enabling the shaft r to be driven with considerable speed. Mounted upon the shaft r is a large beveled friction gear-wheel s, the hub s' of which is adjusted loosely upon said shaft, so as to permit of longitudinal movement, but is caused to rotate with said shaft by means of a pin s", which is adapted to engage with a notch 8"', Figs. 6 and 7, which permits of a slight longitudinal movement of the hub without disengagement. A collar 3" is adjustably secured to said shaft by means of a set-screw, between which collar and the hub is interposed a spiral spring 3"", the tension of which serves to press the beveled portion of the friction-gear against the face of a corresponding pinion t, having a frictional surface,which pinion is rigidly attached to a vertical shaft u, the lower end of which is journaled in a bearing u upon the bracket r, while the upper end is journaled in a bearing u", depending from and formed upon the plate d. The friction-wheel s is preferably formed from metal, while I prefer to make the pinion t from compressed liber, vulcanite, or other material adapted to form a suitable frictional surface, so that contact with the wheel s may insure its rotation. Upon the shaft u is mounted a fan 1J, Figs. 5, 6, and 10, which may be secured in place by means of pins v, Fig. G, interposed between it and the pinion t. Said fan consists of four radial vanes w, placed at right angles to each other. Each vane consists ofa troughlike structure open at its outer end, but having a cross-section substantially like that shown in Fig. 11, the lower member @cof which is oblique to the plane of the horizon and inclined downwardly toward its junction with its fellow,while the member y is oblique to the plane of the axis of the shaft u, the top being extended forward in the direction of its rotation, which direction is indicated by the arrow shown in Fig. 10. Said fan is shown in Fig. 9, which figure clearly shows its location with respect to the position of the feedopenings h h, which are placed forward and in planes upon each side of the shaft u.

The operation of myimproved device is as follows: The shaft u being rotated at a high speed, the grain is fed from the hopper so as to drop upon the distributing-fan forward and in planes upon opposite sides of its axis. The result is that the grain falls in the trough of the vane pointing forward and also in that of the one immediately behind it, but not in the others, and inasmuch as the grain is delivered from the ends of the troughs it does not commence to escape until the vane upon which it falls assumes a position nearly if not substantially parallel to the end-board b. The result of this action is that none of the grain is thrown forward against said endboard, while all of it is delivered before the vane arrives in position to receive another charge, thereby resulting in an even and uniform distribution. The reason why the grain is not delivered until it reaches the end of the vanes is owing to the construction of said vanes, in which the members y iiare forwardly and the members 0c flare upwardly, the degree of the forward iiare of the meinber y being regularly increased toward its outer end, as shown in Fig. 10. By entirely closing one or the otherof the parts p the flow of grain may be permitted to descend upon either side of the distributing-fan, as desired, while the advantage of being able to shut off the flow of grain entirely or to open and close the shut-off valve from the drivers seat while the wagon is in motion is too obvious to require further comment. Moreover, the noiseless feature of the machine resulting from the use of the construction set forth is of great importance.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a broadcast seeding device, the combination of a hopper, a distributingfan mounted upon a vertical shaft beneath said hopper, a friction-wheel mounted upon said vertical shaft in contact with a friction-wheel mounted upon a horizontal driving-shaft, and a spring mounted upon one of said shafts in operative connection with one of said wheels for pressing such wheel yieldingly against its fellow, and means in operative connection with said vehicle forn actuating said wheels, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the

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combination of a hopper, a distributing-fan beneath said hopper mounted upon a vertical shaft, a friction-wheel mounted upon said shaft, a horizontal driving-shaft, a frictionwheel mounted thereon so as to move longitudinally upon said shaft, and a spring upon said shaft for pressing said wheel yieldingly in frictional contact against its fellow, substantially as described.

3. In a broadcast seedingdevice, the combination of a hopper having a discharge opening or openings in its bottom, a seed-distributer under the hopper, a horizontal shaft eX- tended into the hopper above the bottom thereof,vanes carried by said shaft,said vanes lying above and adjacent to the dischargeopening, and means for rotating the shaft, substantially as described.

1. In a broadcast seeding device, the combination of ahopper havinga discharge-opening in its bottom, a seed-distributer under the hopper, a horizontal shaft extended into the hopper above the discharge-opening thereof, vanes carried by said shaft, said vanes being arranged obliquely to the axis of the shaft, and lying above and adjacent to the discharge-opening, and means for rotating said shaft, substantially as described.

5. In a broadcast seeding device, the combination of a hopper, a distributing fan mounted upon a vertical shaft beneath said hopper, said distributing-fan having a plurality of conjoined approximately radial Wings, each of thev Wings being composedV of an upwardly-extended and forwardlyinclined member and a forwardly-extended and upwardly-inclined member, substantially as described.

6. A fan for broadcast seeders, comprising a plurality of conjoined approximately radial Wings, each of the wings being composed of an upwardlyextended and forwardlyinclined member and a forwardly-extended and upwardly-inclined member, described.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of driving and fan-supporting shafts, of coacting friction-gears, and means in operative connection with one of said gears for exerting a yielding pressure against its fellow, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

8. A broadcast seeding-machine consisting of a rotary seed-distributor, means for supplying seed thereto, coacting friction-Wheels for rotating said seed-distributer, and means for holding said friction-Wheels yieldingly in contact with eachother, substantially as described.

9. Abroadcastseeding-machine, consisting of a rotary seed-distributer, means for supplying seed thereto, a shaft on which said seed-distributer is mounted, a friction-Wheel substantially as mounted on said shaft, a second friction-' Wheel adapted to frictionallyengage said first-1n entioned friction-Wheel for driving the same, and means for holding said friction- Wheels yieldingly in contact with each other, substantially as described.

l0. A broadcast seeding-machine consisting of a rotary seed-distributer, means for supplying seed thereto, a friction-wheel connected with said seed-distributer, a driveshaft, a second friction-wheel mounted ou said drive-shaft and adapted to frictionally engage said first-mentioned friction-Wheel for rotating said seed-distributer, said second friction-Wheel being movable longitudinally of the drive-shaft, and means yieldingly holding said friction-Wheels in engagement with each other, substantially as described.

CHRISTIAN N. E. GRAY.

Witnesses:

HENRY FRANKFURTER, A. A. MCKINLEY. 

